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X Prize! SpaceShipOne reaches Mach 2

The leading contender to claim the X Prize sucessfully completes a Mach 2 test …

Hot on the heels of receiving the first commercial manned suborbital space fight license from the FAA, Scaled Composites completed the second powered test flight of their SpaceShipOne suborbital rocket powered plane. In the first powered test flight on December 17 2003, SpaceShipOne reached speeds near Mach 1.2 and reached an altitude of 68,000 feet. During Thursday's test flight, the rocket powered plane burned its engine for 40 seconds, reached a speed of over Mach 2, and climbed to an altitude of 105,000 feet.

This test is another important step in Scaled Composites' quest to win the X Prize. The X Prize Foundation is trying to foster research into space tourism and has anted up a US$10,000,000 prize to the first private company that builds, launches, and successfully lands a spaceship capable of carrying three people to a height of 100 kilometers (62.5 miles). To secure the X Prize, the launch must be repeated with the same ship within two weeks. Currently, there are 27 teams vying for the prize and SpaceShipOne is the odds-on favorite to win. The clock is ticking though, the X Prize is only fully funded through January 1, 2005.

The newly secured space flight license will allow the longer rocket burns needed to reach the 100 km altitude goal. Scaled Composites has been secretive about testing schedules for SpaceShipOne, so it is difficult to know when they may attempt an 100 km flight. According to the rules, contestants must provide a launch date and location to the X Prize rules committee at least 30 days before their flight attempt.